Ramblings and hopefully wisdom from a sixty something life long Pagan woman.

Friday, July 1, 2016

"Cyber-Pagans"

You read them, we all read them, the "popular" blogs that often are little more than internet cliques for often relentless self promoting "leaders" who never seem to do much in the real world but endlessly give their opinions.

Paganism is lousy with them. But a word on the offshoot of that problem, the comment trolls. You know them, you've seen their nicknames in every comment thread. They use the comment section of the blogs to boost their egos, never give their real world names and often reveal nothing personal about themselves but rather launch ad hominum attacks against anyone who actually comments about having done anything or offers an opinion that varies from the current revealed "truth".

They specialize in commenting from a presumed position of authority without challenge. They take the "moral highground" without any facts because they trade in emotion, not substance.

Challenge them. It's fun for the whole family. Ask who they really are, what they have actually done in the real world. Demand details of who they actually are because they are often straight out trolls getting their rocks off on taking down anyone who challenges anything or actually does anything in the real world.

Do it because they do real harm to those who try to make the world better or promote actual debate on complex issues.

Do it because that is how you change the dialogue from feel good bullshit to intelligent conversation... and we need that more than ever in a world that apparently is going bat shit crazy.